182 FORMS OF HEBREW POETRY
Judges v. 2, 2 Samuel xxiii. 1, Isaiah v. 5, 17, 25,
Psalm iv. 8, Job iv. 12, 20, but he finds these
almost all open to doubt: either the text^1 is
doubtful, or it is not clear that the periods in
question must be read as 3 : 4.
The rare occurrence of 4 : 2 as a variant of
3 : 2 has already been considered (pp. 169-172):
there remains for consideration the use of this
rhythm in other connexions. A full period of six
stresses admits of several modes of division, and
these actually occur, (1) 2 : 2 : 2, which, if the
sections are marked by parallelism, or are other-
wise strikingly independent, may be termed a
tristich of two-stress lines; (2) 3 : 3, the com-
monest of all divisions of the six-stress period;^2
and finally (3) 4 : 2 and 2 : 4. In these last there
may be, and commonly is, a slight pause in the
longer part of the period, but it is so much less
strong than the pause that divides the entire six-
stress period into the two unequal divisions that
1 The influence of textual corruption in the production of apparent
examples of 3 : 4 can be observed by comparing the two texts of Ps.
xviii.=2 Sam. xxii. The text of the Psalm presents three fairly clear
examples of this rhythm: see vv. 7 (from fmwy), 29, 35; but in the
text of 2 Sam. the line in v. 7 is 3 : 2 (it was, perhaps, originally 3 : 3),
and v. 29 is 3 : 3. The Hebrew text of v. 35 is rhythmically identical
in the Psalm and 2 Sam., but the Lucianic text of the LXX suggests
a text which is 3 : 3.
2 Six-stress periods divided now into two equal parts (3 : 3) by a
single caesura, now into three equal parts (2 : 2 : 2) by a double caesura,
may occur in the same poem (e.g. Isa. xxvi.) ; Sievers has compared
the alternation of hexameters with a single and a double caesura as
in the first two lines of the Iliad
Mh?nin a!eide, qea<, || Phlhia<dew ]Axilh?oj
ou]lome<nhn | h{ muri< ] ]Axaioi?j | a@lge ] e@qhken